


Good Impressions

by potstickersss



Series: Modern Salem [14]
Category: Motherland: Fort Salem (TV)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/F, Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Meeting the Parents, Physical Abuse, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-17 05:22:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29345052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/potstickersss/pseuds/potstickersss
Summary: Raelle finally meets Anacostia.
Relationships: Anacostia Quartermaine & Scylla Ramshorn, Raelle Collar & Anacostia Quartermaine, Raelle Collar/Scylla Ramshorn
Series: Modern Salem [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1761226
Comments: 7
Kudos: 119





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> IT'S THE ONE YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR.
> 
> This one will be two parts, I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> Thank you to all who have read, commented and left kudos on this series you are amazing.

Raelle is sweating, and when she glances down, her hands are shaking, forcing her to shove them in her front pockets to stop the movement just as the front door swings open.

She looks up, already beginning to smile, expecting Scylla, only for her smile to freeze on her face when she meets Anacostia's appraising look.

"Collar. You're early; that's a good start," Anacostia says gruffly, and Raelle chuckles awkwardly.

"My Mama always said being early is better than being on time."

Anacostia nods slowly before stepping aside, allowing Raelle into the kitchen. Raelle's pulse jumps when she notices Scylla is nowhere to be found. She quickly tries to hide her discomfort by removing her shoes and glancing around before meeting Anacostia's stare again.

Typically Raelle can handle small talk and speak to authority figures with little difficulty, but for some reason, when she is around Anacostia, her throat closes, and she feels unsteady. What if she says something wrong or offensive, and Anacostia never lets her see Scylla again? What if she doesn't like Raelle as she is? What if she spills food during dinner and embarrasses herself?

"So," Anacostia prompts, moving further into the kitchen, "You and Scylla have been dating for a while now."

Raelle clears her throat and gingerly follows her to the island counter, taking the stool Anacostia waves to. "Yes, ma'am, just over six months now."

"And is this the longest relationship you've had or the shortest?"

Raelle blinks and stares at Anacostia in surprise for a long second before speaking. "Um, the longest."

"Interesting," Anacostia murmurs, and Raelle sends her a tight smile, not sure what to make of that reply.

"I suppose so," Raelle says slowly, and Anacostia sweeps her gaze over her once more.

"You know Collar, Scylla is like my own; I've been raising her for over five years now." Raelle nods. "And when she told me about you, I instantly thought it was a horrible idea. For one, you trespassed and were publicly intoxicated, which didn't help your case. But of course, Scylla always knows better than to take anything at face value. It's something I admire about her. Which from what I have heard over the past months, she was right about you."

Raelle swallows roughly, surprised, but doesn't speak, having the feeling Anacostia isn't finished.

"But even though she has been right so far, it does not mean you will not prove her wrong later. So what I am trying to say, Collar, is that if you hurt my girl in any way, whether it's physically, emotionally, forcing her into anything she is unwilling to do, or cheating, I will have you in handcuffs so fast your head will spin. You understand me?" Anacostia threatens, and Raelle inhales deeply.

"Yes, ma'am, though I know myself, and I would never do anything like that. I've been cheated on and understand the pain it causes. I could never put someone through that, and especially not Scylla. The same goes for manipulating her emotionally and pressuring her. I was raised to be respectful and truthful and if my mom ever learned of me being anything but, she would kick my ass. As for physically harming Scylla? Just the thought makes me sick. I love her, I love her more than anything, and I never want to see her in pain, let alone be the cause of it. She's my person, and to cause her pain is out of the question. I am trying to be my best self when I am with her; I am not used to having someone care about me the way she does, so this is new for me, but I am trying. So if I somehow do end up hurting Scylla in any way, whether it is intentional or not, I will gladly let you throw me in jail," Ralle says seriously, not looking away from Anacostia's piercing gaze.

For a long minute, silence fills the kitchen, as neither break the staring and then Anacostia is grinning.

"I gotta admit, Collar, I knew you weren't a bad kid, but that little speech you just made definitely got you some brownie points. So here's the deal, you and Scylla keep on going the way you are, and we will have no problem. Mess it up, and well, you know what will happen, got it?"

Raelle bites her bottom lip to stop a smile from spreading across her face as she nods. "Understood."

"Good. It's nice to meet you, Raelle, officially," Anacostia says, holding out her hand, and Raelle is quick to shake it.

"You as well, ma'am."

"Scylla wasn't kidding; you've got that southern charm."

Raelle's cheek flush when Anacostia chuckles and shakes her head. "Both my parents are from the south, and until I was eight, we lived in Tennessee, so I guess I picked up some of the mannerism and drawl."

"I'd say so. How are your folks? They met Scylla a few weeks ago, right?" Anacostia asks, getting to her feet and rounding the island. Raelle watches as she heads for the kettle and grabs a box of tea from the cupboard.

"They're good, and they did meet Scyl. Of course, they adore her; if they didn't, I'd have had them tested for brain damage," Raelle says with a quiet laugh, and Anacostia sends her a grin over her shoulder.

"She's hard not to love that one."

"Yeah, I think it took only three weeks for me to fall completely. And then like five months to actually say it out loud. Did she tell you she dropped me on my ass when I did finally tell her?" Raelle asks, and Anacostia snickers as she fills two mugs with the boiling water.

"I heard about the confession, not the circumstances surrounding it."

"She was embarrassed," Raelle says with a grin as Anacostia sets one of the mugs in front of her.

"No doubt. So how did this happen? All she said was that you finally said those three little words, and then she said it back."

Raelle chuckles and spins the mug carefully in her hands. "We were baking brownies a few weeks ago. Here to be exact, and while we were waiting, we were dancing around, and she dipped me. For me, the words just slipped out. I had been struggling to tell her for months, and finally, it happened, and then before I knew it, I was on the floor."

Anacostia barks out a laugh just as the front door swings open. Raelle swivels in her seat and immediately beams at the sight of Scylla rushing inside.

"Costia Raelle is going to be here any minute, and I need to shower still and change. Can you not be completely overprotective when she gets here? It would be best if you didn't scare her-" Scylla stops short, halfway into removing her jacket and shoes when she sees Raelle at the counter. 

Raelle grins and immediately jumps off her stool to help Scylla out of her coat. "Hey, Angel. You're a bit late for that talk. And as you can see, she did not scare me off."

Scylla flushes and glances to Anacostia and then back to Raelle who quickly hangs the jacket in the closet next to the door. "I thought you weren't getting here until five-thirty?" She asks, and Raelle shrugs.

"Yeah, I was too anxious to wait any longer, I got here at five. I didn't know you weren't going to be here."

"Oh god, please tell me she hasn't told you anything embarrassing about me," Scylla hisses, leaning in close.

Raelle laughs and shakes her head. "Not yet; maybe I should go ask for some stories while you shower."

Scylla grabs her shoulders to stop her from returning to her seat. "Don't you dare, Collar."

"Now, now, Little Ram, no need for threats. Collar has a right to ask about your embarrassing moments," Anacostia interrupts, and Scylla's eyes bulge while Raelle chokes on her next breath.

Anacostia seems to realize a second later what she has called Scylla and grimaces.

"Costia!" Scylla shouts, and Raelle releases a loud laugh.

"Oh man, this is amazing. Little Ram? Because her last name is Ramshorn? Damn, how did I not come up with that?"

Anacostia sighs and shakes her head. "I'm sorry, Scyl, it just slipped. And I am sure Raelle will not breathe a word about it to anyone, right Collar?"

Raelle's glee fades when she catches the threatening look Anacostia is sending her, and she sighs. "Yeah. No one will know, I promise."

Scylla continues to pout, but her shoulders relax, and she leans into Raelle, who wraps her arms around her waist.

"I swear, Scyl, I won't say anything. But it is cute," Raelle murmurs and Scylla rolls her eyes but wraps her arms around Raelle's shoulders.

"Thank you. Now I'm going to shower. Don't get into too much trouble with Costia," Scylla whispers and presses a quick peck to Raelle's cheek before heading for the hall.

Once she's gone, Raelle turns around and sends Anacostia an awkward smile.

"So," She says, rocking on her heels, and Anacostia rolls her eyes.

"Get over here, Collar; you can help me prepare dinner."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raelle tells Scylla about Beth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is nearly 5000 words. You're welcome.
> 
> It also got a little more dark and angsty than expected but I think it gives some real depth to Raelle's character, so no regrets.
> 
> Thank you all for being so sweet and continuing to support this series it means a lot to me!
> 
> Hope you enjoy :)
> 
> (mention of abuse/sexual assault. Nothing graphic)
> 
> It ends happy I promise!

Raelle manages to keep up with Anacostia in the kitchen, somehow not making a complete fool of herself as they work to make a decent chicken pasta.

"That Treefine girl won't be bothering you, by the way," Anacostia says abruptly during a lull in their small talk and Raelle spills some of the pasta she is scooping out of the pot.

"Oh, yeah. Wow, I can't believe I forgot about that," Raelle mutters, frowning down at the plate she is filling up.

When she looks up, Anacostia is watching her, and she immediately goes back to grabbing more pasta, anything to avoid the intense gaze.

"She has been warned by yours truly, but I think we should file a restraining order as a precaution. Of course, it is up to you. I have the papers here in case you do choose to file one."

Raelle swallows roughly, and when she can no longer pile pasta onto the already full plates, she looks up and meets Anacostia's eyes. "Thank you. I'll um, I'll think about it."

Anacostia nods and goes back to chopping the cooked chicken breasts in even slices. "I don't know what went on between you two, but I caught some of your conversation with her before she kissed you. What she was saying didn't sit well with me. Have you discussed it with anyone before? It seems this is not the first time she has spoken to you like that."

Raelle's jaw clenches, and she scratches her forehead, her heart pounding hard in her chest. "No. She's just a bitch. I can handle it."

Anacostia looks up sharply and lays the knife down as she observes Raelle. "Collar, listen to me. That girl is more than a bitch. She is abusive, and the fact that you were in a relationship with her tells me she has most likely manipulated you during that time. Emotional and verbal abuse is just as terrible as physical, sometimes even worse. So, if you need someone to talk to with a non-biased opinion on the matter, I am here. I know it feels like it's not worth it because it's over now, and you are in a new relationship, but that pain follows you everywhere. It would help if you acknowledged it, or it will fester and one day explode. And I know you don't want Scylla to be on the receiving end of that misplaced anger."

Raelle's throat tightens, and she looks away as her eyes burn, forcing herself to blink away the tears. Clearing her throat, she nods once, her body riddled with tension.

"She is the one person who can get under my skin," Raelle admits after a moment, her eyes flicking up to meet Anacostia's. "Our relationship barely lasted a month, but even in such little time, she-" Raelle inhales sharply, shaking her head. "- she messed me up. My roommates know some, just the vague details and what they observed over the course of the relationship but nothing of real value, I guess. My parents are even more in the dark. They met Beth once and immediately disliked her, so I didn't bring her around again."

"Sometimes, a few weeks is all it takes for them to get in your head," Anacostia says gently, and Raelle sends her a tight smile.

"Considering I was already damaged from my relationship before that, she didn't really have to try hard. She picked apart my insecurities like it was a children's game. I didn't put up much resistance if I'm honest. I was hurting and just wanted someone to distract me from it, and Beth was the first one to make a move. It wasn't until she had me avoiding my parents that I finally realized what she had done. At some point, I wasn't even seeing my best friends, and I lived with them."

Anacostia frowns, and Raelle swallows roughly. She's never told anyone this before, so when she continues, she keeps her eyes on the counter, her fingernail tracing the lines in the marble.

"It went from zero to one hundred so fast I missed the entire thing. I broke up with her two days after she locked me in her closet to keep me from driving to my parents' house. She didn't handle it well, obviously. She threw things and even shoved me into a mirror. It shattered on impact, and I caught a piece to the face. It's how I got this scar. I told everyone I tripped while holding a plate, and it broke, some of it catching me in the cheek when I landed. It was already stitched up when they saw it, so they didn't know how bad it was."

"Raelle," Anacostia says softly, reaching out to tap her fingers, regaining Raelle's attention. "I think you need to really consider this restraining order. If she has done all of this, and I'm guessing that is just scraping the surface, she is a threat to you. She found you today and approached Scylla weeks earlier. That is as red of a flag as any. I know this is hard, and you are scared, but your safety is no joke. She needs to know her actions have consequences and that you are off-limits."

"I know," Raelle whispers, and Anacostia sends her a small smile.

"You're strong, and I know you won't let that girl ruin all your progress now that she has shown up again. You have Scylla, your parents, your friends and myself to back you up. She can't touch you."

"She could hurt Scylla," Raelle blurts, and Anacostia immediately shakes her head.

"She won't. Not when she knows my role in Scylla's life. She is scared of me, and she is definitely scared of being caught. I now know about her and saw her kiss you without consent and overheard how she speaks to you, meaning she will think twice. She acts tough when she is alone with you, but once someone steps in, she gets uneasy and loses all bravado."

Raelle sighs and runs her hand through her hair. Her stomach twists at the thought of Beth going after Scylla, but then Beth's pale face when she saw Anacostia flashes through her mind. She was definitely fearful of being arrested. Maybe Beth really is just all talk when in front of others.

"Hey, is dinner ready?" Scylla asks brightly as she walks into the kitchen, and Raelle nearly jumps out of her skin.

Anacostia sends her a pointed look before spinning in her seat to meet Scylla. "It is, but I fear you took so long that it is now cold."

Scylla sends her a sheepish smile before her eyes land on Raelle, her smile faltering. Her brows furrow and she quickly crosses the distance, so she is beside her.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Scylla whispers, reaching up to cup Raelle's cheek, and Raelle sends her a small smile, knowing it is too tight to pass as genuine. "Nothing. Just discussing whether or not to file a restraining order against Beth."

Scylla's face softens, and she shakes her head. "Rae, that's nothing, that's very important. Have you made a decision?"

Raelle swallows hard and holds her concerned gaze for a minute before nodding, her arms wrapping around Scylla's waist, tugging her closer. She looks over at Anacostia and says, "I'm going to do it."

"Good choice, kid," Anacostia says, an approving look in her eyes, and Raelle releases a breath, returning her attention to Scylla.

"You ready for some cold pasta I slaved over?" She asks with a teasing smile, and Scylla grins.

"Always."

"You boiled the water," Anacostia scoffs, but she is smiling, and Raelle lets herself relax into the domestic moment, forcing Beth to the back of her mind. Tonight is about Scylla and getting to know Anacostia.

"It is a very vital part of the process," Raelle replies, and Scylla laughs.

"Come on, you two, let's heat this in the microwave, and then we can eat this lovely meal you two contributed to equally."

//

Raelle makes sure she helps with the dishes after dinner, even when Scylla tries to shoo her away. Anacostia doesn't comment; she instead sits at the kitchen table sipping from a bottle of beer, watching them.

And when Scylla grabs Raelle's hand to lead her upstairs to speak privately, Anacostia sends Raelle a stern look.

"Door open, Collar," She says and Raelle flushes.

"Yes, Ma'am."

Scylla rolls her eyes and drags Raelle away before Anacostia can say anything more, and when they enter her room, Scylla shuts the door.

"Uh," Raelle says and immediately yanks the door back open. "Are you trying to get me killed? The door stays open, Ramshorn. I'm not going against Anacostia."

Scylla laughs loudly but leaves the door half-open without complaint. Raelle sends her a grin and closes the few feet between them, capturing Scylla's lips in a searing kiss.

"Hi," She murmurs, and Scylla hums, wrapping her arms around Raelle's neck.

"Hi. Are you doing okay? I know Anacostia can be intense."

"She's great. I really like her," Raelle says, and Scylla's brows rise in surprise.

"Really? Did she threaten you? Are you saying this under duress? If so, blink twice."

Raelle grins and kisses Scylla again. "I'm serious. She's badass, protective over you, and offered to help me with Beth. There is nothing I don't like. Yes, she is scary at times, but I admire her for it."

Scylla smiles and cups Raelle's cheeks, bringing their foreheads together. "I knew you two would get along. She definitely likes you already."

"How can you tell?" Raelle asks, and Scylla smirks.

"You are standing in my room right now, are you not? And she doesn't let just anyone help her in the kitchen. So I can safely say she likes you."

"Oh," Raelle whispers, and Scylla shakes her head fondly.

"I love you," She says, and a dopey smile spreads across Raelle's face.

"I love you too, Scyl."

They grin at each other for a minute before Scylla speaks again.

"I've meant to ask you something." Raelle nods for her to continue. "Where is your truck?"

Raelle blinks in surprise before she chuckles and hugs Scylla close. "Tally is using it at the moment. Her car is in the shop, so I had her drop me off."

"So I wasn't completely blind when I got here, good to know," Scylla teases and Raelle smirks.

"I mean, I still do think you need glasses, but no, you were not so blind as to miss a giant black truck in your driveway."

"Oh god, don't mention the glasses in front of Anacostia," Scylla groans and Raelle laughs. "I'll never hear the end of it."

"I won't. But you know my opinion on them. You'd look fucking hot."

Scylla grins wickedly and begins walking Raelle back towards her bed. Raelle falls back onto the mattress with a gentle push, Scylla immediately crawling on top of her until she is straddling her hips.

"Maybe I should get them just for you," Scylla whispers, brushing her lips against Raelle's. Raelle immediately nods and grips Scylla's hips.

"Yes, please," Raelle groans, and Scylla grins again before capturing Raelle's lips in a bruising kiss.

It doesn't take long for Raelle to get lost in the feeling of Scylla and switch their positions, so she is now on top. Scylla slips her hands under Raelle's shirt, digging her nails into her lower back, and normally that is something Raelle enjoys but her conversation with Anacostia before plagues her mind, and she has to pull away.

"Hey, you okay?" Scylla whispers, reaching up to brush Raelle's hair behind her ear and Raelle swallows, shaking her head.

"I need to tell you something," Raelle murmurs, and immediately Scylla is on high alert, sitting up, keeping Raelle in her lap.

"Is this about earlier? I could tell there was something you weren't telling me."

Raelle nods. "While what I said was true, about us discussing the restraining order, I had also been confiding in Anacostia about some of my relationship with Beth."

Scylla's eyes widen, and she brushes her thumb over Raelle's jaw. "Okay, so you'd also like to tell me what you told her?"

"No. I want to tell you everything. I told Anacostia some details but only the bare minimum. With you, I don't want to hide it anymore."

Scylla swallows but immediately nods, pressing her forehead to Raelle's. They stare into each others' eyes for a moment, just breathing each other in, allowing Raelle to gain the confidence to say what she needs to.

"Can we go somewhere? Like on a walk or something?" She asks suddenly, and Scylla smiles softly.

"I know just the place."

//

They walk in silence, fingers interlaced as Scylla leads them up the trail through the thick forest of trees. Raelle doesn't comment that this is the same trail Scylla told her her father made when she was born so her parents could take her hiking up the cliff. She knows how big of a step this is for her, so she squeezes her hand, and Scylla sends her a bright smile.

After another ten minutes, they come to a small clearing that opens up to the ocean. They are high above the water on the cliff's edge, and Raelle inhales sharply. It's breathtaking. The sun is just setting on the horizon, leaving the water sparkling and the sky a gorgeous mix of blue and pink hues. Off in the distance, she can see storm clouds brewing, but to her, it just makes the view even more captivating.

"This is where I come to think. Or I used to. I haven't been up here since my parents passed," Scylla murmurs and Raelle looks over at her, a soft smile gracing her lips.

"But now you are," She says, and Scylla glances her way, matching her smile.

"But now I am. And so are you. I thought this could be our place to share. You're the first person outside of myself and my parents to know it exists. So if you agree to stake a claim, you will need to carve your name into the cliff. It's tradition."

Raelle glances down at the swiss army knife Scylla slips from her pocket to hold out for her to take. After a second of hesitation, Raelle takes it and flicks it open before glancing up at Scylla for direction.

Scylla grins and leads her to a smooth surface a couple of feet away, much closer to the edge than they were before. She kneels next to her and looks down at the stone, biting her lip when she finds the names carved into it in messy block letters.

She reaches out to trace Scylla's sloppy carvings and immediately knows she was young when she wrote it. Next, her eyes trail over the names of Scylla's parents. Lila and Oliver. Her throat tightens when an image of them bringing a little Scylla up here and happily carving their names flashed through her mind, and she forces herself to look away. She clears her throat and steadies her hand as she reaches out with the knife and begins to carve directly under Scylla's name.

For a few minutes, the only sound comes from the scratching of metal on stone and the distant crash of waves. When Raelle is done, she sits back on her heels and admires her handy work.

 _Raelle. C_ is carved under _Scylla. R_ , both now encompassed in a heart. Scylla leans into her, dropping a kiss to her shoulder sweetly before resting her head on it.

"Tell me about Beth," Scylla whispers and Raelle inhales slowly, distracting herself for the moment with closing the knife as if in that short time her thoughts will have organized themselves.

With a sigh, she hands the knife back to Scylla and shifts, so her back is to the large boulder that sits next to the carved names. Scylla follows and settles next to her, curling into her side.

"We met at a party a few weeks after I broke up with my first girlfriend. I was drunk and upset, and Beth was the first person to give me any form of attention after my break up. I don't remember much, but the next morning, I woke up next to her completely naked in a frat guy's bed. Apparently, we slept together, but I can't recall any of it. To say I was horrified was an understatement. I don't do one-night-stands. I prefer to only sleep with people I have feelings for, so I got dressed and ran. It was a few days after that we ran into each other at a coffee shop. She said she wanted to be friends and offered to buy my drink, and against my better judgement, I agreed."

Raelle pauses, and Scylla takes that moment to grasp Raelle's hand and link their fingers together, squeezing gently in silent support.

"I think within the week we were dating. She was just so good at getting her way. A master manipulator. She wore me down, and after the shit, I went through with Cass before, I didn't have it in me to care. I just wanted someone to distract me from the pain I was feeling. So I fell into a relationship with Beth. It was fine the first week, but I found myself seeing less and less of Tally and Abigail by the second, even though I lived with them. Beth was consuming all my time. I was failing my classes and missing practices and just had nothing for myself. She always had to be with me. She would text and call me every hour she wasn't with me, asking where I was and who I was with. I couldn't fucking breathe without her jumping down my throat. Into the third week of our relationship, I brought her home to meet my parents because she insisted. They hated her immediately. And she put zero effort into making a good impression. I was so embarrassed and made sure never to bring her there again. It didn't matter anyway because I broke it off with her by the end of the month. She was so controlling that I couldn't even see my parents."

"What?" Scylla hisses, sitting upright to face Raelle, who grimaces and nods. "Who the fuck does that?"

"A psychopath," Raelle mutters, and Scylla clenches her jaw tight. "And that's not even the worst part."

Scylla releases a rough breath and glares out at the water for a moment before forcing herself to relax. Raelle reaches out to pull her back into her side, knowing she will need the comfort of Scylla's touch for what she is about to tell her.

"She even went as far as locking me in her closet for nearly six hours when I told her to get the fuck out of my way and that I was leaving. She took my phone so that I couldn't call anyone. I finally managed to break it down, but I had a shit ton of bruises. On my hands, feet, shoulders, legs, and arms. Just everywhere. It looked like I was in a brawl. The door was made of some solid fucking wood, I tell you. My throat was raw from screaming, and when I got out, she was in the kitchen making dinner as if nothing had happened. She fucking smiled and set a plate on the table, and told me to eat. And since she hid my keys and my phone, I decided to play along. That night she uh-" Raelle stops abruptly, and Scylla stiffens immediately, already radiating with rage. Still, now dread fills her, and she looks up at Raelle's face, searching her pale complexion.

"Rae," Scylla says, practically pleading with that one word for the next words to come out of her mouth not to be what she fears. But Raelle's hollow gaze and quivering chin answer for her.

"Fuck. Fuck Raelle!" She hisses, tears stinging her eyes as she shifts, so she is now on her knees in front of her, cupping Raelle's cheeks.

"She forced herself on me," Raelle whispers, and Scylla bites the inside of her cheek so hard it breaks skin leaving the metallic taste of blood to fill her mouth. "She actually tied me down. She had never done that before, so I wasn't expecting it. And with her background in martial arts, I was no match for her physically. She was so quick and strong. I don't know how long she used me, but it was at least a couple of hours. When she was done, she untied me and fell asleep, giving me the chance to search the apartment for my keys and phone. She had hidden them in the fucking dryer. That was the last place I looked. I turned over everything, and when I was about to just leave without them, I noticed the basket of recently clean clothes that I knew for a fact had just been dried and folded because I had been the one to do it hours earlier, was empty, and the dryer was suddenly full. After that, I bolted and drove right to my parents' house. I couldn't bring myself to tell them what happened, and thankfully, they didn't push. So for two days, I stayed with them, avoiding Beth. Finally, I decided to break it off, and she did not take it well."

The laugh that escapes Raelle is bitter, and Scylla has to swallow down the bile that had risen in her throat during Raelle's retelling of events. God did she want to kill Beth.

"I went to her place and told her flat out we were done. She immediately got pissed and started yelling every name in the book at me, then moved on to cursing me out, before finally she grabbed the remote control in the living room and hurled it at my head. I managed to duck, but she just kept throwing shit at me. I don't know what hit me, but it was a few things, all leaving some form of a bruise. And of course, because she is never satisfied with anything, she decided to run at me. I sidestepped her too late, and she knocked me into the mirror that hung in the hallway. The side of my face took the brunt of the impact and the glass shattered. It's how I got my scar."

Scylla stares at Raelle in horror, completely frozen and barely breathing. Raelle stares back, looking ashamed and so small that Scylla can't even speak. Instead, she releases the breath she was holding and gently traces the scar on Raelle's cheek with her fingers.

Raelle closes her eyes and leans forward, burying her face into Scylla's chest and wrapping her arms tight around her back. Scylla immediately cups the back of Raelle's head and holds her as tears spill down her cheeks. She stays there holding Raelle so long that her knees grow numb and the sun begins to disappear, but she doesn't care.

She holds her tight and lets Raelle cling to her for comfort. She will stay here all night if need be. All she cares about is making sure Raelle is okay.

"She is the one person I am scared of," Raelle whispers, breaking their silence, and Scylla swallows hard. "She knows how to play me and just what to say to get under my skin. Before you interrupted us today at the coffee shop, she was twisting everything that happened between us, saying it was all my fault. That it was because of me that she got angry and that if I hadn't been so hard to love, she wouldn't have had to do all the things she did. Locking me in the closet was to protect me from myself, and if I had just been better at listening and stopped being so selfish, I wouldn't have an eyesore of a scar on my face."

"Hey," Scylla hisses, lifting Raelle's head until they are eye to eye. "None of that is true. You are so easy to love, and you should never have gone through such trauma."

"Scyl," Raelle sighs, shaking her head, but Scylla sends her a stern look, and she stops.

"Listen to me, Raelle Collar, that girl knows nothing about you. She is nothing. She doesn't even deserve to think about you after what she has done. She harmed you, and I will not let that stand. I also will not let you believe all that bullshit she has spewed about you. You are everything to me, and I know you better than anyone. You are the most selfless person I know, and you are so fucking gorgeous you make my head spin. I love your scar. It is a part of you and makes you even more beautiful. It's unique to you, and that is why I love it. Nothing that has happened between you and Beth is your fault. She is sick and clearly in need of help if she can hurt a person like that. Manipulation may be one of her skills but knowing how to love is not one of them. It is one of mine, though, and I like to think I am quite good at it, that I am quite good at making you feel safe and wanted, and so loved," Scylla whispers fiercely, and Raelle sucks her bottom lip into her mouth as tears spill down her cheeks.

"You are. You're really good at it," Raelle rasps, and Scylla releases a wet chuckle.

"So are you. No one has ever made me feel so loved. You're my safe place, Rae, and I don't know what I'd do without you. And I will continue to tell you that until you believe me. And I won't let you or anyone speak badly about my favourite person."

Raelle sniffles, and without warning, she jerks her head forward, crashing her lips against Scylla's. The kiss is rough and desperate, and Scylla immediately wraps her arms around Raelle's neck to steady herself. When they break for air Raelle presses her forehead to Scylla's cheek.

"I believe you. Fuck, I believe you. You are the one thing I believe in completely, and Beth won't take that away from me. She doesn't get to control me anymore."

Scylla sends her a broad smile and captures her lips in another desperate kiss. "I love you. So, so much," She whispers and Raelle hugs her so tight she can barely breathe.

"I love you too, Angel. More than anything. Thank you for loving me."

"Always," Scylla murmurs into Raelle's hair, allowing Raelle to shift her so her back is pressed to Raelle's chest, wrapped in her warm embrace.

For the next hour, they watch the sun disappear and stars begin to replace it in the sky, and for the first time in a long time, Raelle feels free. The weight on her chest is gone and Beth's shadow no longer looms in her mind. Scylla's light has cast her out and she knows she will need to work on herself but for now, she will relish in the feeling, and the warmth Scylla's body exudes. 


End file.
